SOE's reply to the Cruel/Merciless Invocation issue

For those who don't read the development tracker, here's SOE's answer (by Blackguard, on the "Moorguard, I am on angry inquisitor" thread) on the Invocation debaucle:

"The change to the Inquisitor stifle was made because both PCs and NPCs had the ability to chain stifle a creature or player while also dotting them. The stifle now occurs after the DoT wears off. Apologies for not including it in the update notes, but it slipped through the cracks. If this spell does not appear to be fulfilling its intended functionality through playtesting, it will be changed."

Thanks go to Sebastian for raising the ruckus to get attention to our class . Thanks man, and let's all cross our fingers

why doesnt that thread appear in my dev tracker?

Errr, my bad. It was the moderator tracker. Here's the link I should have included....

http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=spellart&message.id=37943#M37943

"Apologies for not including it in the update notes, but it slipped through the cracks."
I can't help but feel that this phrase is quickly becoming their overall view on inquisitors. To have our (in my opinion, of course) finest spell destroyed with no message is appalling. I honestly don't know whether to be more insulted by the original omission or this totally crappy apology.
I am not commenting on if the spell should have been changed or anything, I'm just grossly offended by how it was handled.
-Sandrine, Neriak

I also sent a forum email to Moorgard directly where I made him aware of the problem, the thread in which Inquisitors are discussing it, and a summary of why most Inquisitors don't like the change, along with some ideas for changing it to be more effective without allowing the chain stifle effect to carry on. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that it will be changed, for even though I don't have the spell yet, it was one of the key factors in making me decide to betray Qenos in order to become an Inquisitor versus being a Templar.
Tigsen

What is really amazing is how fast they nerfed it in response to people's complaints about the D'Morte mobs. People have been complaining for months about various broken spells for which nothing has been done. Seems odd that cruel invocation was singled out for such quick action.

All it needs is a longer cast time or added to the concentration window. Done!

I'm skeptical that we'll get anything changed but I sure hope so. Right now with CI nerfed and the state of the rest of our abilities, the Inquisitor class is walking down the road of broken land.

Not to sound too cynical, but I'd be willing to bet that one of the spell developers was playing their character and got chain stifled by a D'Morte NPC Inquisitor and the first thing he did was add "NERF that F'in spell when I get into work in the morning!" to his daily to-do list.

Tigsen

Their current handling of the situation bites....

... or his girlfriend, which would explain why the change came so fast.
or .. Smed during a presentation to the investors got pwned by 2 green Inq mobs despite his full suit of rare uberarmor.
honni soit, qui mal y pense.
Too bad we'll never know.

although its far from the way it was, when the stifle effect portion of CI goes of after the dot wears off, you can then recast CI. the stifle effect only lasts 10 seconds or so which leaves 5-10 seconds where stife is not on the mob between casts. this is still a nice feature on those longer lasting mobs like the group x2 guys in zek. i notice a difference in tank healage by keeping it quasi-stacked.

Maybe someone should remind them of the warlock and wizard mob nukes for over 10,000. :smileysurprised:

Wait until 'Intelligence means something and adds a bonus to spell damage' and they will nuke for 20,000
Then Redemption will be the only spell we have left and we better practice praying and start practicing the 'redemption chain'.

I don't want to start a flame here guys, but if you think that keeping a mob stifled 100% of the time is not overpowered, then you are not thinking straight. Now I cant say that I agree with SOE moving it behind the DoT, since most mobs unleash alot of damage in the first 20 seconds, but it was way to overpowered. This would be like having an unbreakable root on a melee mob. I guess they could have taken that route, left the stifle in place as was, but make it breakable like the roots are.

Please tell that to the *other* classes in the game that can chain-stifle. Inquisitors aren't the only class with stifle. They're just the only one nerfed.

And which might that be?

chanter? they say it at least

Yes, Illusionist / Coercer come to mind, I'm sure there are more.

I can understand a the enchanter class having this ability, they are all about crowd control and reducing the threat of the enemy. That is their job. Now if they can chain stifle, and heal as well as a inquisitor, we would have issues.

Other classes have stifle as well, but the recast is longer than the length of the stifle.

"stiffle is far to powerfull, how can you dare say its not?"


"enchanters can chain stiffle"


"ah man thats ok, when an enchanter can chainstiffle that is not overpowered."

on which planet do you live? i play in groups